TALBOT6759

[blind stamp]

London
April 21^st

My dear Constance

I found poor uncle W^{m 1} ailing with the prevailing influenza, & obliged to stay at home all this week. Nevertheless he was very glad to see me and the rare plants I brought with me from my stove. The influenza is very much about, I think I have got it slightly myself, but I don’t stay at home on the contrary am very busily engaged. I propose to return home Sunday but as I dont think it necessary to use the horses that day I mean to come in a fly.

I walked into an Auction Sale just now as I was passing along the street, of water colour drawings by Prout Stanfield Harding &c &c. the property of R. Bernal Esq M.P. and was surprised at the great prices everything sold at although many of the pictures did not appear to me better than what E. R. and M. paint– ²

I think of making a little Excursion somewhere for the benefit of my health, for 3 weeks. I have asked Uncle W^m if he will come & botanize with me in the Pyrenees, but he says I asked him last year & then never went myself. When you have leisure to talk the matter over with M^{lle 3} will you do so, I mean as respects plans for the ensuing summer. I am quite ready if you like to take the girls to Switzerland, I don’t mean to wander about the country but I would take a good house at Berne for 3 months and return for Seabathing in England in the Autumn. The distance from Paris to Berne is about equal to the journey from London to Ambleside and the facilities of travelling much the same.

A practical engraver whom I am consulting, the same who did the Lions for us, & my view of Melrose Abbey, thinks my discovery in engraving a very remarkable one, and though he knows & I have told him that it is done by the rays of the sun yet he cannot imagine how, and racks his brains in vain. ⁴ However he admits it is “a great fact” since he cannot deny the evidence of his eyes, and he acknowledges that he could not make such an engraving himself, of some things which I showed him as a bit of black lace for example – He would not undertake it for five guineas or more, not if he was to engage to make a faithful copy of the lace in every particular – He is now employed in ascertaining for me the proper kind of press for printing off the engravings, the proper ink &c &c. Of course I shall employ him to print off the copies for me. He thinks it will lead to important results in the Arts. I have not had time yet to see Harriet.

Your aff^te
Henry

Love to Ela particularly & hope she is better